It was a perfect weekend with plenty of activities

I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was excellent. The weather was perfect to get out and enjoy the activities that were going on in the area.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

My wife and I started the day by attending OctoberFest in downtown Corbin. I believe this was the most vendors we have ever had for this event. Hats off to Maggy Monhollen, the Corbin Tourism Director, for organizing about 60 or more vendors.

The petting zoo was not only a delight for the kids, the adults enjoyed it too. The kids enjoyed feeding the animals. They also enjoyed the hay ride through the town.

What I enjoy the most is meeting and talking to friends I don’t see that often. I also like to talk to those who make the effort to display their products. There are many talented people at these events.

I enjoyed meeting and talking to a retired pastor from Cincinnati who, along with his wife, set up booths. I hope they sold several of their items which they had made.

After spending some time downtown we drove to Barbourville to attend the 74th Annual Daniel Boone Festival.

A huge crowd had come out for that event. That festival has the most local food vendors of any I have attended. The food booths, mostly made to look like log cabins, filled the court square and about all of them came from area churches.

The lines were long, about 12 to 15 people standing at every one of them waiting to be served. They had everything from soup beans and corn bread to hamburgers, pulled pork and, of course, funnel cakes.

The Daniel Boone Festival is one of the best festivals you can attend. It is mostly made up of local vendors. There are several activities throughout the week.

Naturally, the success of any of these events is dependant on the weather and it was perfect this weekend.

Corbin’s Nibroc Festival comes on the second week of August when it can be blistering hot. Years ago I asked about changing the date but I was told it is not possible because that is the only time when this particular carnival has an opening.

I think you will agree that it is one of the biggest and best carnivals and Corbin is lucky to get them. But the weather can also be good for Nibroc. It is a thing all festivals have to deal with.

All festivals have food and all have a common problem. Once you get your food finding somewhere to sit to eat it is limited. When Nibroc had its 50th anniversary and a few years after that, festival director Bruce Carpenter arranged for a big tent with tables and chairs to be placed at Nibroc Park. That was good until the money source ran out.

And speaking of food, we left Barbourville and headed to Williamsburg to eat at the Mint. The food was good and the surroundings are fabulous. No, we didn’t gamble but for those who choose to wager, this place is what I called “uptown.”

I don’t imagine visitors to this area or those who once lived here and returned would ever have believed something on this scale would be located here.

If you haven’t been to the Mint, then treat yourself and go see it. Yes, the sun does shine in southeastern Kentucky!

And just think by next spring another facility similar to this one will be opening in Corbin. The Cumberlands harness race track will be opening.

I’ve done a lot of traveling lately and I know one thing for sure. This is the best area on this planet to live! And at this time of the year with the fall colors in the trees it is the most beautiful.

Many people say that fall is their favorite time of the year. I agree. Only one problem, the dreaded winter season follows it.